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Curb Appeal - Improving Your Home's Look

Perhaps you're looking to sell your home or maybe you want to spice up the exterior of your house exterior. They say that "looks aren't everything" but then they also say that "you never get a second chance at a first impression." How the outside of your home looks truly does matter. But because it's your home, you've grown comfortable with how it looks and may not realize that it needs some help.

When family comes for the holidays, potential buyers for the first day of Open House, or friends come over for the big game, the first thing they see when they get out of their car is the front of your house. How much curb appeal does your home have?

Here are a few tips to give your home a facelift and make it the envy of the neighborhood:

House Exterior

Is your home painted? A fresh coat of paint will do wonders for the look of your home. You might even think about a new color. Does everyone on your street have white paint on their house? Consider a khaki color with white trim. I've seen a lot of houses from the 80's and 90's that were painted a flat gray -- it might be time to try a pale yellow, a tan, or switch to an ivory color to be different from all the other suburban homes.

Is it covered in vinyl siding or stucco or brick? Stale, old siding or cracking stucco can really bring down the value of your home. Nothing says 1960's Split Level like a house covered in multicolored bricks. Consider having a siding contractor come out to give you an estimate and bringing your home into the 21st century.

Shutters? If you home has large windows on the front of the house with nothing else around them, it can make the house look flat and boring. A set of shutters, in a darker/contrasting color from the house paint can make your house jump up and demand your attention. If you've got shutters, a nice new coat of paint can do amazing things.

Landscaping

The landscaping around your house means more than planting a few flowers or bushes under the windows of your home. Sometimes it means removing what's already there. Overgrowth of bushes, trees, and plants can hide your home's architecture and curb appeal. Cutting back or even removing large chunks of landscaping can open it up and breathe new life into your aging house.

Try to get landscaping that is native to your area to make sure you don't need to water or care for everything more than you normally would. People sometimes install plants, trees, and grass that doesn't belong in their state. Then, they're forced to spend more time, water, and money to maintain it. Many give up and it ends up looking worse than before they started.

Consult a lanscape architect or landscaping company to plan out your yard to really draw attention to the home's best points and pull away from areas the house is not as strong in.

New Roof

It's a drastic measure, but if you're home is in need of a new roof (you've got leaks, missing shingles, sagging roofline, etc.) it can really add to the look of your home. The great thing is that there are a host of new roofing products and materials out there that can really liven up your house. Even if you go with traditional asphalt shingles again, there are dozens of styles, textures, and colors to choose from.

Driveway, Walkways & Sidewalks

Resurfacing or replacing your asphalt or concrete surfaces can be the final touch in updating your home's curb appeal. If you're interested in going beyond just a new coat of concrete or black asphalt, consider adding a unique look to your home. Going with brick or concrete pavers, acid stained concrete, or other decorative concrete will really make your neighbors jealous and improve your home value. Click here for some info on some acid staining options.

Accessories

A new front door can really do wonders for your curb appeal. Make sure that the door fits the architecture of your house. I've seen many people try to squeeze a set of double doors onto a 2 bedroom ranch and it just makes the house look even smaller than it is. If you can't afford a new door, consider painting your door to add some spice to the front of your house.

Don't forget about updating the porch light, street light, mailbox, and house numbers. Try to get a matching style for your house architecture and also make sure that all the accessories match each other (if not an exact match, then at least the same material or color.)

If you've got fencing on either side of your home exterior, you might think about updating the wood or chain link fences or maybe adding a decorative gate.

Making adjustments to the front exterior of your home is the first, best step to improving the curb appeal as well as the value of your biggest investment. If you need to find any type of home improvement guru to help with your renovations, contact Construction Deal - - we're your resource to find a quality professional and it's free to use for all homeowners!